Stealing the Score

Gr 3-7–Venezuelan footballer Luis ‘El Botín’ (the Boot) Alamilla is 21 and already the greatest player of his generation, a star for AC Miami and his national team, which has qualified for the upcoming World Cup for the first time. He credits his success to his magical handmade cleats. When the cleats go missing, El Botín disappears, prompting some sleuthing by middle school fans Ethan and Sasha, as well as by social media phenom Mateo. There is much misdirection, with suspicious behavior by Mateo’s dad, a team executive, and Sasha pumping for information from Irina, Alamilla’s girlfriend, a catering client of her mother’s. In the end, after stowing away on a luxury boat to Alamilla’s estate on a private island, they manage to get El Botín to compete in a 3-on-1 soccer match and an online tournament with champion Sasha and convince him to return. Though the focus is typically on the mystery story, much attention is given to the sport, with occasional intricate descriptions of game play.